Large social media companies should have to proactively remove harmful content from their platforms, undergo regular “risk assessments” and face hefty fines if they don’t comply, according to an independent review of online safety laws in Australia. The federal government has today released the final report of the review conducted by experienced public servant Delia Rickard, more than […] … learn more→
Blog Archives

Do big tech companies have a ‘duty of care’ for users? A new report says they do – but leaves out key details

Isidore of Seville: the patron saint of the internet who shaped knowledge for generations
In a world where information flows freely, it’s easy to forget that, for centuries, knowledge was much harder to come by. Imagine living in a time when the internet didn’t exist, books were scarce, libraries were few, and most people couldn’t even read. This was the world of Isidore of Seville, a man dedicated to […] … learn more→

Unmasking hidden online hate: a new tool helps catch nasty comments – even when they’re disguised
People determined to spread toxic messages online have taken to masking their words to bypass automated moderation filters. A user might replace letters with numbers or symbols, for example, writing “Y0u’re st00pid” instead of “You’re stupid”. Another tactic involves combining words, such as “IdiotFace”. Doing this masks the harmful intent from systems that look for […] … learn more→

Is it possible to work without Google?
Search engines are inseparable from the way most users use the Internet today. Google, the most popular in the world, has even given rise to a verb to refer to the action of searching for information on the Internet. Google was founded in 1998 with $100,000. In mid-1999, it received a $25 million capital injection from two venture […] … learn more→

The first 24 hours of a hypothetical global internet outage
In recent years, there has been growing concern about Russian military activity around the undersea cables that form the backbone of the internet, a network of 500 submarine cables stretching hundreds of thousands of miles, transmitting terabits of data per second. They carry 97% of global communications and are essential for transmitting government, financial and personal data. The threat of a […] … learn more→

Human error is the weakest link in the cyber security chain. Here are 3 ways to fix it
Despite huge advances in cyber security, one weakness continues to overshadow all others: human error. Research has consistently shown human error is responsible for an overwhelming majority of successful cyber attacks. A recent report puts the figure at 68%. No matter how advanced our technological defences become, the human element is likely to remain the weakest link in […] … learn more→

Is childproofing the internet constitutional? A tech law expert draws out the issues
Mounting pressure to regulate children’s use of technology in the United States raises the question: Is childproofing the internet constitutional? In response to significant political pressure stemming from alarming revelations about youth experience with digital technologies, a wave of state laws have recently passed across the U.S. They address a variety of online harms affecting children, ranging from exposure […] … learn more→

Have you heard of the open source internet? The antidote to a capitalist web already exists
In the early days of the internet, famously, no one knew if you were a dog. The internet was a place where you could be anyone. More importantly, it was also a place where you could find anything: that rare book, or the perfect pair of neon-pink tights, or a community for your unusual health condition. […] … learn more→

The internet is worse than it used to be. How did we get here, and can we go back?
When it comes to our experience of the internet, “the times, they are a-changin’”, as Bob Dylan would say. You can’t quite recall how, but the internet certainly feels different these days. To some, it is “less fun and less informative” than it used to be. To others, online searches are made up of “cookie cutter” […] … learn more→

Children and the internet: helping kids navigate this modern minefield
The United States’ most senior public health official, surgeon-general Vivek Murthy, believes social media platforms should come with warning labels. The United Nations’ education, science and culture agency says smartphones should be banned in schools. Chinese regulators are pushing to limit children’s smartphone use to just two hours a day. These are just a few high profile examples […] … learn more→